Amateur Hour

Nina

“It wasn’t bad, for a sequel,” Nina remarked, still working on her popcorn, as they exited the theater. It was more technical than the original, but still had enough action.”

“I wasn’t quite satisfied with the love story. It didn’t have the depth, of the first movie.”

“No. He was cute, and I wanted him to be the hero, not her. I’m old fashioned, I guess. New love isn’t necessarily the best, is it? There’s something to be said, for rediscovered love.”

They didn’t say anything else, until they were back in the car.

“Should we get lunch?” Nina asked. “That place has steak that’ll melt in your mouth.” She indicated the restaurant that shared the same parking lot.

“I don’t know if I could do it justice, after the popcorn.”

“It reheats well, if you can’t finish. I never can.”

“Okay, if you’re sure you won’t be embarrassed when I ask for a to-go box.”

“Everyone does. And, I promise I won’t cry on your shoulder, any more.”

“You weren’t,” Janice objected, as Nina started the car, and drove the short distance across the lot.

“No, I was. I didn’t give you much room to talk, did I?”

***

“Tell me something about Louisiana,” Nina suggested, when Janice looked stumped at being asked to talk about herself.

“I don’t know what to say about it. It’s hot, wet, and swampy, in a lot of places, just like Florida. Maybe a bit wetter, and lower lying.”

“Are you Cajun? Creole? Neither? I know there are differences, but I don’t know what they are.” Nina blushed, a little, hoping she wasn’t giving offense. Steering conversation wasn’t her forte.

Janice finished chewing the bite she had taken of her salad. “I’m both. Mama’s from a Creole family, and Daddy’s a Cajun. Creoles tend to come from old, Catholic stock, and are mostly city folk. Cajuns are descended from the Acadians, who were kicked out of Canada, not to put too fine a point, on it. They tend to be more rural.”

“Either way, you speak French, then.”

“I do, yes. Some younger people don’t, these days. You know, if there is anything I miss about home, it’s the language. It’s very colorful, especially Cajun French. I’m sure you know what I mean. From your accent, English is a second language, to you.”

“I speak Miccosukee, but my Creek is rusty. Teddy is fluent in both, of course. Ironic, since he grew up speaking English, living with his father.”

“His father isn’t Seminole?”

“No; he’s White. Teddy didn’t learn his own language properly, until he went to live with his mother.”

Janice made a face, and Nina chuckled.

“It’s fine. It doesn’t bother him, a bit. His mother’s clan accept him as their own. That’s all that matters.”

Janice took the hint, as Nina knew she would, and pursued the topic no further. She was more than happy to discuss her culture, but her husband’s past wasn’t her story, to tell.

“All Seminole children are considered members of their mother’s clan,” she added, not to shut the conversation down, entirely.

“That’s practical. Mother’s baby, father’s maybe,” she joked.

“Exactly. It’s much easier to prove maternity.”

“So… To prevent consanguinity, you marry outside of your own clan?”

“That’s right.” Nina was pleased that Janice got it. Too many people didn’t. “Teddy is Bird Clan; I’m Panther Clan.”

“What about last names, then?”

“A tangled web, same as everywhere else. Some women take their husband’s name. Some hyphenate, and some keep their own. I opted to hyphenate, and we agreed that our children, if we had any, would be given the hyphenated name, as well.”

“Reminding everyone of both clan associations, with yours first. That’s logical.”

“We thought so. Now, if I could just figure out how to get those children… I’m sorry,” she shook her head, with a rueful smile. “I promised not to cry on your shoulder any more.”

Their meals arrived then, and Janice gawked at the amount of food, on her plate.

“Do you think there’s any physical reason that you’re not intimate?” she asked, spearing a bite of her steak.

“I don’t think so. He… responds to me, when we kiss.” She felt the blush rising, in her cheeks. It wasn’t a comfortable topic, but she was the one who had introduced it.

“Will he talk about it?”

“No. He doesn’t get angry, or agitated — but, he puts me off, with a joke about his age, or a gentle word, about mine. It’s so annoying,” she scowled.

“Marriage counseling?”

“I would go. I don’t know if he would.”

“Even if you went alone, you might get some good advice. That branch of psychology is a little out of my league,” Janice apologized.

“What would you do, as a woman, then?”

Janice hesitated, thinking. Nina decided to let her think, and turned her attention to her food.

“I suppose you have separate bedrooms?” Janice asked, finally.

“Next door to each other.”

“I guess my first experiment would be to wait until he’s asleep, then slip into bed with him. Get him used to the idea of a little harmless snuggling. Snuggling generally leads to more, eventually,” Janice added this last, with a wicked look.

Nina wasn’t sure she was quite that bold.

“And, if he throws me out?”

“Regroup, and think of something else. We learn more from failed experiments than successful ones.”

“That might be a place, to start.”

“If it goes south, you might try telling him your story, about your doll.”

Nina gave her a sharp look, not sure whether or not Janice was poking fun at her. No, she was in earnest, and Nina found herself liking her the better for it.

*******

Liam

Liam decided to give Spike another tour of the neighborhood, after he’d found that his old white slippers had, once again, been the target of Spike’s urine stream. He was beginning to wonder if the dog peed anywhere else. Thinking that it have something to do with the overgrown backyard, he’d opted to put the spaniel on a leash, for a quick turn, before the sky opened up.

“Make it snappy, buddy,” Liam remarked, when Spike began sniffing the ground, about a block from the house. He spotted Ted and Raven, coming down the other side of the street, as Spike lifted his leg to water someone’s gardenia bush.

“Liam —” Ted called, waving. He crossed the street to join them. “Have your ears been burning?” he chuckled, when he was close enough to speak.

“Tingling a little, but not burning,” Liam smiled.

“They’re talking about me, then.” Ted shook his head, with a sad look. “I hope they don’t get rained out. Nina’s been looking forward to this outing, all week.”

“Jan won’t be squelched by a little rain. But, I might,” Liam added, as it began to sprinkle. “I should have put on a cap.”

“Hate getting your glasses wet? I don’t blame you.”

“Come on over, why don’t you? I’d like to pick your brain about a project I’m working on.”

“Okay,” Ted agreed. “What kind of project?” he asked, as they turned back toward Liam’s house.
“Historical research.”

“Not my field, but I’ll help, if I can.”

Liam explained about the cemetery and his interest in it, on the way. By the time they got to his front door, he had finished. The mild consternation on Ted’s face, wasn’t exactly encouraging, but the other man followed him inside, and loosed Raven, to play with Spike.

“At first blush, I’d tell you to let it go,” Ted said, perching on a kitchen chair, to watch Liam put on the coffee pot. “But, since I don’t think you’ll do that, I’ll only advise you to be careful.”

“Of what? Alligators?”

“Those, for sure,” Ted affirmed. “I’ve seen big ‘uns out there. Cottonmouths, too.”

“You can bet I’ll be watching for those. I almost got nailed by a copperhead, about a year ago, in Georgia.” He held up a ‘wait a minute’ finger, and ducked out to the bedroom. When he came back, he was carrying the white straw hat Tuck and Lisa had given him, as a wedding gift. He handed it to Ted.

“Nice,” Ted remarked, admiring the band Tuck had made from part of the snake’s skin. “Good work, too.”

“My brother-in-law made it. He’s also the one who shot the snake. I’d wear the hat more, but the band gives Jan the creeps. She thinks it’s bad luck to gloat.”

“Women.”

“Yeah.”

“I had a rattlesnake band, once. Nina claimed she could smell it.”

“My sister has one, made from the same skin. It’s on her show hat. Her husband’s turned her into a tomboy.”

Ted smirked and handed the hat back.

Liam hung it on his chair, and got out two cups. “Gators, snakes, and what else?” he asked.

Ted hesitated long enough for the coffee to be poured, and brought to the table.

“Nothing specific,” he said, finally. “I don’t know how some of the faculty would react, if they saw you poking around, especially Starkey. I don’t know that he’s particularly concerned with the cemetery, but he’s never been one to encourage independent inquiry, in my experience.”

They were quiet, for a bit, sipping their coffee.

“Is this about the missing kids, Liam?”

“No. It’s about a very old cemetery, and the tale it might tell about the history of the family, the school, the different eras, and the geographical region.” Liam recognized his pedantic tone, but he couldn’t help it.

“Do you intend to publish on one of these topics, one day?”

“Maybe. Why not?”

Ted shifted in his chair. “You might want to steer clear of the family aspect. They may appear to be long gone, but trust me — they’re not. They aren’t the cohesive group they once were, but they still have money and resources. They even have a shadowy sort of influence.”

“The Eldridges? I never heard of them, before last week.”

“Uh-huh. That’s the way they like it,” Ted nodded. “They’re into some shady shit that you do not want to dig up.”

“You know, Ted—“ Liam began, mildly annoyed.

“I know,” he said, holding up a hand. I’m a walking hurricane warning flag. I say: Stay away from these people; stay away from those people — and you have only my word that it’s meaningful advice. I’m no older than you, and I sound like some crazy old doomsayer, who yips at the moon, when it’s full.”

“Yeah. A little.” Liam said, and they both laughed.

“Look — examining headstones and how the dates correlate to events in history — that’s fine. Theorizing about the peculiar layout of the cemetery; also fine. Looking into the history of the school? Dicey, but acceptable, if you stick to the facts. But, leave the Eldridge family in their mausoleum, and pretend that there are no more of them, in existence. They don’t want your attention, and you don’t want theirs.”

“You do realize those are the wrong words to say to someone who came into the world with an inquisitive mind and complete set of encyclopedias, right?”

Ted chuffed a dry laugh. “I do, but it’s my duty to say them. It’s your duty, to consider them.”

Another silence fell, between them, as they were each occupied with their own thoughts.

“Are you willing to share anything other than warnings?” Liam asked, after a while.

“If I can. I’ll even help you get photos of the headstones, if you want. Two of us could knock it out quickly, enough, and you wouldn’t run the risk of being noticed, too often. I may even know some things, about the school, since I’ve been there, for a few more years, than you have.”

“You seem to know a lot of things,” Liam observed, in an arid tone.

Ted sighed, exasperated. “I know things, yes. I also have Nina to consider. She’s my joy, and she’s my Kryptonite. She isn’t like Janice. She’s less self-reliant. I have to make sure I’m around for her, if for nothing else. So, I don’t take stupid chances.”

Liam held his tongue. He had a notion that Nina was much more self-reliant than Ted gave her credit for being. It seemed, to him, that Ted had infantilized her, in no small measure, in the name of love.

*******

Guy

For a moment after the door closed behind Julio Serrano’s assistant, he and the man across the desk from him could only glower at one another.

It was Guy Ramirez who broke the silence. “Took you long enough,” he observed, with a look of disgust that bordered on loathing, for his boss.

“I had some things to look into. You brought in outsiders. It didn’t take long to figure out who they were, but finding the kid was harder. Took longer. Next time, you might want to have your friend leave his phone at home. Buy a burner, maybe.”

Julio’s smug look, when directed at him, made Guy’s blood boil, so he affected amused indifference. “Needs must, when the devil drives,” he replied. “The boy was in danger. If I could have contacted you, I would have. There was no time to go through my sister.”

“If everything was normal, your friend would be in jail. As it is, the cops don’t suspect him, because the incident wasn’t reported.”

“Shocker,” Guy deadpanned. Actually, it was a shocking. Guy hadn’t really suspected the Dean to be involved, but Starkey’s silence could be nothing but complicity, willing or not.

“We’ve decided to leave the kid where he is; at least, for now.”

As if you had any authority to do anything else, Guy thought.

“The man and his wife check out. So do the man’s daughter and son-in-law. I had an associate do a personal check, on the boy. He’s looking well, and seems content.”

“How did you manage that?” Guy asked, momentarily distracted from his annoyance.

“She signed up for a trail ride. Saw the place, met the boy – who was introduced to her as the wife’s nephew. He smiled, and played along.”

“He’s a nice kid. Glad he’s okay.”

“I am, too. But, you’re not there to rescue them, one at a time, Guy. You’re there to help shut it down.”

“It might be useful to know who I’m helping.”

“You know better than that. This client doesn’t want to be directly contacted, by associates.”

“You sent us in, with no inside man, and no communication with you, either. That’s not cutting it, Julio, just in case you’re wondering. Now, you’re going to have to replace Steph, and I’m going to have to bring a new partner up to speed. There’s no time, for that.”

“That’s why we’re not replacing Stephanie. There’s no time.”

Guy could only stare at Julio, for a moment.

“What part of ‘she’s next’, did you not grasp?” he demanded.

“It’s a bad situation —”

“You think?” Guy interrupted.

“I think you underestimate your partner.”

“I think you’re talking out your ass! The jewelry she handed over to you, last time? I took it off the body of a dead teenage girl, Julio!”

“I know that. But Stephanie isn’t a teenage girl.”

“Oh, no — She’s a single mom. That’s much better.”

“She’s a savvy adult, with a sharp mind and hand-to-hand skills as good as yours.”

“She’s a hundred-five pounds, soaking wet! If I could glue myself to her side, that wouldn’t be a problem, but I can’t.”

Julio smirked. “If you tried to glue yourself to her side, she’d lay you out, because you’d be in her way. You actually think you’re the only one doing things in there, don’t you? Do you know what eidetic memory is, Guy?”

“Of course, I know. I also know neither Steph nor I have it.”

“If you say so. Yet, somehow, the bulk of our intel has come from your partner. She can recite overheard conversations for us, verbatim. She remembers notes glimpsed on desks, and can describe every item in Dr. Starkey’s office. When we pull her in, we know everything she knows, and everything you tell her, too.”

“Then, she should be an asset you’d damned well want to protect.”

“That’s what you’re there, for, among other things.”

“Pull her out, Julio. They’re going to kill her.”

“No. They aren’t. We will bring her in, briefly. She’s going to be offered a tracking chip, and some other devices. The same goes for you, if you want them.”

“A chip? I don’t think so,” Guy scoffed.

“Purely up to you. We can supply you with a wearable tracker, if you prefer. There may be a couple of other tools, too. We’ve gotten in some new toys in the past few months — not field tested, but…”

“Seriously? That’s all you’ve got — James Bond gadgets?”

“At this point, yes. Unless you want to find a new job.”

“You’d fire her, for not going back in.”

“No. I’d fire you. I don’t think she’d let us pull her out, if we offered.”

“Way to take advantage of her work ethic.”

“It’s much more than a work ethic. Maybe you don’t know her as well as you think you do,” the boss suggested. Again, he was wearing the smug look.

Of all the things Julio had said, this was the most infuriating. Likely, because it was true. In some ways, Steph was still a mystery, to him.

“Go to the tool crib, Guy, and see if there’s anything there you can use,” Julio advised him, referring to the area where the tech was kept. “Go back to the motel, order a pizza, have a few beers. Maybe call a girlfriend. Then, go back to school, tomorrow, with your head on straight.”

There was more Guy wanted to say — much more, but he had been dismissed. Julio already had his phone out, and was obviously waiting for him to leave. Guy settled for favoring Julio with his murderer’s grin, as he rose slowly from his chair. He took his time, crossing the floor to the door.